


half sweet

by kerberastro



Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Coffee Shop, F/F, Tumblr Prompt, fh:sy spoilers, my way of projecting onto characters is for them to have the same coffee order as me, not even an au!!! i just think sam should be a barista :)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:00:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24601246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kerberastro/pseuds/kerberastro
Summary: ashenwaste on tumblr asked: do a coffee shop meet cute for your favourite rarepairaelwyn is really just trying to get some studying done, but quickly gets distracted.
Relationships: Aelwen Abernant/Sam Nightingale
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50





	half sweet

**Author's Note:**

> hi my name is bee and i can't stop writing aelwyn abernanttttttttt  
> here's a short n sweet lil prompt fill !! i do love a good ol fashioned coffee shop fic :)

Aelwyn enters the coffee shop with a jingle of the bell above the door, a tote bag full of her various arcane texts over her shoulder. It’d been a while since she’d come to a cafe to get some studying done, and even longer since she’d had some time to herself. Deep down, Aelwyn loves her sister, she really does, and she’s grown fond of the crew at Mordred Manor, but sometimes, they caused  _ quite  _ the ruckus, and she simply couldn’t focus on her studies with the  _ ceaseless _ giggles from downstairs. 

It’s cozy in the cafe; a contrast to the autumn wind outside that had mussed up her hair and flushed up her cheeks. She tucks some loose strands behind her ears and approaches the till, having to wait in line behind a couple of people, which gives her time to scan the menu. 

Well, it  _ would have,  _ if she hadn’t clocked the tall, lanky water genasi barista working the espresso machine that had been less than discreetly sneaking glances over at Aelwyn. 

Her back stiffens as she realizes that she  _ knows _ her, of course, this is Sam Nightingale, one of the Seven Maidens; the one that dated Johnny Spells, in fact.  _ Shit,  _ just  _ looking at her _ is enough to cause a visceral reaction deep in Aelwyn’s gut, and she feels a twinge of guilt hit her like a bad headache. Sure, getting  _ Sam _ into a palimpsest was more of Penelope and Johnny’s deal, but she’d still been part of the bigger picture, and ouch,  _ ouch,  _ she was not prepared to confront this today, especially after so long. With her parents and Kalina and that nightmarish spring break, the events of last year had fallen to the very back of her mind. Not to mention, she hadn’t been around to witness the aftermath of it all as she’d gotten whisked away to Fallinel before even getting the chance to see how it panned out. 

She just  _ knows _ that this girl must hate her, that she must want her  _ dead _ for everything that she did (which is fair enough, Aelwyn supposes). 

But then, Sam meets her eyes, just for a fraction of a moment, and gives her what appears to be a faint smile. She’s too distraught to return one of her own. 

It’s Aelwyn’s turn to order, she realizes, and she asks for the only thing she ever orders; a vanilla latte (half sweet, always) with almond milk (because regular milk gives her acne, and she can't have that), then slides a silver to the cashier and mutters to keep the change. She then heads to the end counter where orders are passed out. As she arrives, Sam looks up. 

“Hey,” she says, startling Aelwyn,  _ why is she talking to her? _ “You’re… Aelwyn Abernant, right? Adaine’s sister?” She opens a small refrigerator, grabs a carton of milk and gives it a shake. A bracelet on her wrist jangles, and Aelwyn notices a small charm on it; a sparkling, silver number seven.  _ Oh, okay, that hurts in a weird way.  _

Aelwyn nods, becoming even more tense than before. “I mean. Yes, guilty as charged.” 

“I thought I recognized you.” Sam says. “I’m Sam,”  _ I know.  _ “I go to Aguefort,”  _ Knew that too.  _ “I’m, uh, one of the Seven Maidens? If that rings a bell at all?”  _ Oh, Sam, you have no idea.  _

“Right, of course. Sam.” Aelwyn acts as casually as she can. “I, um… you’ll have to forgive me, I’m just… well, baffled that you’re being friendly to me? After…  _ god,  _ after everything?”

Surprisingly, Sam smiles, “I heard about what happened to you,” She tells her as she presses freshly ground coffee into the portafilter. “Bygones next bygones. I get it.” 

“Oh,” is all that Aelwyn manages, all she  _ can  _ manage. Had Adaine or one of her Bad Kids told the Seven Maidens? Told Sam? Half of her wanted to give Adaine a piece of her mind for disclosing such personal information to people she hardly knew, but the other half was somehow grateful that the Maidens now knew the circumstances that she had been in. She  _ really  _ didn’t like to have to explain it to people. 

She watches Sam make her coffee; two pumps of vanilla syrup instead of the standard four into the bottom of the cup, then the coffee drips in on top. She steams the milk, then pours it into the cup with a delicate, precise motion to make the shape of a little heart with the foam. She pushes the cup to Aelwyn, who thanks her. 

“Hey! Uh,” Sam says just before Aelwyn goes to turn around. “So this is kind of out of nowhere, but my shift actually ends in a couple of minutes. If you’re gonna stick around… would you maybe wanna grab a spot for two and I’ll come join you?” 

Aelwyn’s eyes widen, taken aback, as she looks at Sam; the sun through the cafe window catches her  _ just right _ , and she looks a little nervous, but hopeful, and  _ okay,  _ Aelwyn could use some company that isn’t someone that lives in the same house as her. 

Finally, Aelwyn shrugs. “Alright,” she says. “Yes, sure.” 

“Cool! I’ll catch up with you in ten.”

“Cool.”

And she does. And the coffee is great.  _ Perfect,  _ even, not too sweet, but sweet enough. And Sam’s laugh sounds like sunshine. 

And Aelwyn doesn’t get much studying done, but it’s worth it. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading!!! find me on tumblr @jolenethegreen and on twitter @kingjetrocks to scream about abernight with me <3


End file.
